LAHORE: A police constable has been arrested and booked for a murder attempt on a deputy inspector general (DIG) of police with a knife at the Police Lines Qila Gujjar Singh.

The police said DIG Shehzad Aslam Siddique was having his evening walk late on Saturday night when Constable Muhammad Rafique attacked him with a knife. The DIG resisted the attack but suffered wounds on different parts of the body including face, chest and hands.

Mr Siddique went to the quarter guard and alerted the duty officer who arrested the constable and seized the knife.

The injured officer was shifted to the Services Hospital where he was stated to be stable.

Later, Qila Gujjar Singh Police Station registered a case against Constable Rafique under charge of attempted murder.

Some news channels reported that the constable had attacked the DIG for scolding him but the spokesman for the Deputy Inspector General Operation Lahore rejected the reports. He said Mr Siddique was not posted in Lahore and the attacker did not remain under his supervision. The DIG was living in a flat at the Police Lines. He said initial investigation suggested that the suspect was suffering from psychological problems and was undergoing some treatment.

TRAFFIC WARDENS: Another case of traffic wardens misbehaving with the citizens has been reported in the city.

The wardens reportedly misbehaved with Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari on a minor issue near the Governor House. A video had emerged in which the traffic wardens could be seen misbehaving with Mr Ansari and others.

Different journalist organisations have condemned the incident and asked the authorities concerned for action.

Capital City Police Officer Zulfiqar Hameed took notice of the incident and ordered for an inquiry into the matter. He also asked Chief Traffic Police Officer Liaqat Malik to submit a report within 24 hours.

The commuters faced a lot of nuisance as many important roads of the city remained closed due to rally of a religious organisation against the US aggression against Iran.

The rally was scheduled from the Charing Cross to the Lahore Press Club. Resultantly, diversions were set on roads, including Cooper Road, Nisbat Road, Durand Road, Queen’s Road and others leading towards Davis Road and Mall Road. The citizens had to pass through different roads to reach their destinations.

BODY FOUND: The body of an unidentified male was found in the BRB Canal on Sunday.

The locals spotted the body in the canal and informed the police and Rescue 1122.

The teams reached the spot and fished out the body. They also collected forensic evidence from crime scene and recorded statements of the eyewitnesses.

Police said that they were investigating the matter further and trying to ascertain the identity of the victim.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2020